The Ties That Bind
by Corianin
Summary: The Doctor and Rose have finally broken through the wall that had defined their relationship. What lies beyond that wall? Sequel to my shortfic, 'The Woman You Love', and written by popular request.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Wow. I had an amazing amount of private messages in response to 'The Woman You Love' - so overwhelming, in fact, that I decided to grant their wishes and continue the story that I'd never really thought of continuing. So, without further ado, here starts the further adventures of the Doctor and Rose...at least, for this fic. :)

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Maybe she'd picked up something at their last stop. It certainly wasn't normal for her to be queasy, he thought. He heard the water run, stop, and then the door opened and Rose came out, pale and shaky. He made up his mind. Walking over to her, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Stand still, Rose. I'm going to scan you. See if we can't figure out what's wrong so we can fix it." Her eyes widened in worry.

"Doctor, I don't think that-"

"Ahh, but I do, and I am never wrong. May not always be right, but I am never, ever wrong." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, fiddled with the button, and began to run it aver her head.

"But, Doctor-"

"Shush. You have to be still." He'd moved it from head to chest, totally ignoring her faint protests. "Don't want to get any weird readings, you see." He moved the device over one arm, then the other.

"Doctor-" she tried again, her voice almost panicked.

"Rose, clam down. I'd never hurt you, and this is perfectly harmle-" He broke off, his eyes widening as he looked at his screwdriver where it hovered over her stomach. Silently he scanned her again, then again. His eyes, full of fear and shock, snapped to hers.

"Rose, you..." She would have laughed at hearing him off-balance were she not so scared. Swallowing hard, she spoke in a small voice.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Doctor. This can't be fixed. I...we...we're going to have a baby."

For the second time in as many months, Rose was treated to the strange and amusing sight of the Doctor collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.

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She sat in the library, reading to distract herself from the inevitable conversation that loomed on the horizon. After their tryst those few months ago, they hadn't been intimate again. Not for lack of desire, that was certain. Rose wasn't sure why he was holding back, but she knew she didn't want to push him. She also supposed running for their lives a time or five could have had something to do with it. And then, too, she'd been feeling under the weather for the past few weeks. In fact, it was that last bit more than anything that made her wonder if she might be...well, pregnant. She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back into the couch, book forgotten for the moment. At least she knew what she planned. Whether or not the Doctor wanted the baby, she did. If it was a problem, she'd just ask to go home.

Home. Her mum was going to explode. Jackie Tyler was all for having passel of grandkids - provided her daughter was properly wed first. Rose shuddered inwardly at the thought of having to tell her mum the news. She turned her mind rom that admittedly disturbing line of thought, resolving to cross that burning bridge when she had to and not a moment sooner. She let her thoughts wonder to more important things. Like what to name the baby, for example. She wasn't picky on gender...she wondered if the Doctor would prefer a boy or a girl. Rose sighed, a bit forlorn.

~Face it, Rose. You don't just want the baby - you want the father too. You want it all.~ That she knew her inner voice was right didn't make it any easier to acknowledge. Especially since she was fairly sure that the Doctor had meant it when he mentioned not 'doing domestic' a while back. ~Such a pretty tangle - what was I thinking?~ Her mind, ever helpful, supplied her with a slew of images from that day, forcing her to admit that her thoughts hadn't gone much past "harder, faster," and "yes, Doctor - right htere!" With a defeated sigh she settled down on the couch and dozed off.


	2. Chapter 2

He stood in the doorway staring at the sleeping angel, his remarkable mind seemingly unable to focus on anything but the fact that she carried a child within her. His child. He didn't feel his own tears, so caught up was he in watching Rose sleep. He thought back to the day they'd overcome the wall that had defined their relationship. Without a doubt it had been the most remarkable point in his long, long life. Still, he felt like the world's biggest prat - Rassilon, he'd all but forced her. He knew she'd enjoyed it, wanted it, but he remembered the way her eyes had widened with what had to have been fear when he all but slammed her into the bookcase. She'd never mentioned it but a few days later he'd caught a glimpse of the bruises the shelf had left, and felt even more horrible for hurting her. She hadn't run from him afterward, nor had she ever brought it up, and he didn't want to mention it for fear of hearing her say it had been a mistake. Better a lifetime of not knowing than run the risk of learning she regretted what had blazed between them.

Still, as he stood there watching her, he couldn't bring himself to dwell on the negative. He was too stunned by the fact that - against all odds, disregarding all laws of biology or reason - this remarkable slip of a human was going to make him a father. He moved to sit in the chair across from her, simply gazing at her as she slept. How long he held his vigil he knew to the second, but didn't care about in the least. He was too busy watching his Rose, his beautiful, wonderful, capricious Rose. She shifted uncomfortably and he had her in his arms before even he knew what he was going to do. Without conscious decision he carried her out of the library and down the softly-lit hallway. The Tardis had led him to a single door, and he was both pleased and surprised to find that it opened to his own bedroom. A few sure steps had him standing beside his bed, getnyl laying his sleeping burden to the soft mattress, covering her with a comforter while being careful not to wake her. A brief moment's deliberation and then he was doing what he had longed to do since the little blonde whirlwind made herself a place in his life. He stretched out on the bed, curling himself protectively around her. With Rose in his arms he found it easy to fall asleep for the first time in ages.

That night, the nightmares disappeared.

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Warmth. almost didn't want to wake up for fear of losing the feelings she knew had to be residual sensations from the dream she'd just had, a dream of a little tow-headed girl with wide, curious eyes, who had run to her and called her 'Momma'. However, nature was a fickle shrew sometimes, and Rose had no choice but to open her eyes - and stare in shock. Instead of her typical pink and white surroundings, she was in a room done up in what looked like wood grain paneling and other things she'd never seen before. She caught the faint musical strains of some string instrument, the scent of something that was almost cedar but not quite. She moved to sit up and look around but stopped short, staring in confusion at the arm that was draped over her side, the hand resting lightly on her stomach.

"Um...good morning?" Turning her head to look behind her, she was shocked to see his tousled hair, his deceptively boyish grin. Rose felt her world stand on end so wonderfully that she never dared hope. How longhad she wished to be here, like this, with him? It was so surprising that it chased her voice away. Unfortunately, he misinterpreted her joyful silence as something else entirely, and before she could blink he was out of bed, babbling something about adjustments and a tri-centering hydropump system, and then darted out the door leaving her laying, confused and sad, in the lingering warmth of the fluffy comforter. She stayed there a little while until the bed grew cold, thinking deep thoughts until she came to a conclusion. After a hesitant moment, Rose stood and headed towards the door. It was time they talked.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I wanted to apologize for the lack of update in so long, but I'd written out this chapter in my notebook during lunch at work, and somehow in my house cleaning I managed to misplace it. But here it is! I promised I wouldn't forget! :)

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He blew it. He knew it. It had just felt so good, so right, to wake up beside her that he'd hoped it would bridge the silence between them. Unfortunately he'd seen the error of his thoughts in her shocked, confused eyes. Rather than stick around to face the rejection he knew must be forthcoming, he ran. Now he was under the console, beneath the grating, alone with the Tardis and his thoughts. Somehow, though it wasn't odd for him to be by himself in this place, it felt lonelier than usual.

A noise alerted him to her presence, though if he'd been honest he never would have needed the sound - the simple stutter of his hearts should have clued him in to her arrival. This was it, he thought. This was where she would ask to leave. He wanted to cry. Instead he pushed all of his emotions to the back corner of his soul, and when he spoke it was light and casual.

"Have a good nap?" Yeah, he thought, that was subtle. Remind her that when she woke you were wrapped around her like a tentacle cocoon from Sxtar 5. He didn't feel any better when she didn't reply; to the contrary, her silence only confirmed his dread. Rose Tyler was never silent. She really does plan to leave, he though. It was agonizing to consider. He couldn't help but watch her as she walked slowly around the console, fingers almost touching the surface. He so longed for her to say something, anything, that when she did it startled him.

"Do you want this baby?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Did he really just hear her ask what had to be the most inane question in the history of questioning? She came over until she was standing directly in front of him. Standing as he was on the console base below the floor grating, it put him eye level with her stomach and he couldn't help the shiver of emotion that wracked him. He felt her finger under his chin, tilting his face up until he was meeting her eyes. In their brilliant depths he felt himself drowning and knew he would be able to die happily.

"Let me put it this way, Doctor." The steel in her eyes was reminiscent of Jackie, but the tone, the heart - that was all Rose. "If you don't want the baby, or me, then set the Tardis to take me home. I'm raising our child with or without you."

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Her heart was pounding, her head throbbing. She hated doing this, giving him an ultimatum, but she was keeping this baby. She stood there looking into his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes, the windows to the soul she'd fallen so in love with, the firmness of her voice the only sheild she had against her fear. She was losing herself in his eyes now, as usual, but she refused to lose her resolve.

Let me get this straight," he began slowly. "You're wondering if I want this child. Our child. Correct?" She nodded, not trusting her voice. He was silent for a long time, but then he did something she never expected. He began to cry. Not great, heaving sobs, nothing so dramatic. But his eyes filled with tears that slowly began to make their way over his cheeks, dripping onto his shirt with blatant disregard for the fabric they were dampening. And as she stood there riveted to the spot, he leaned forward very carefully, eyes never leaving her own, and rested his cheek on her still flat stomach.

"How can your mother wonder whether or not I want you, or her?" he whispered, and she realized he was talking to their child. She began feeling her own tears on her cheeks, but didn't move a muscle for fear of breaking the spell. "How could she even ask that? The most amazing, precious person in my life, the one who makes me whole, gives me purpose. And now she's given me the most incredible gift in the world - you. How can she ever wonder what that means to me?" He stood upright, climbing to stand beside her on the grating, looking down at her, and for the first time he let her see the wonder and the sheer joy in his eyes. She bit back a sob and a shiver as he rested his hands on her hips, dropping to his knees before her.

"Rose Tyler, you are the single most incredible woman I have ever met. And I'm asking you - no, I'm begging you - please. Please stay with me. You will never in all of the worlds combined, in all of existence, find another who will love you as much as I will. As much as I do. Please stay." His eyes full of love, she realized he was placing his hearts in her hands. She broke down and dropped to the ground beside him, diving into his embrace like a lost soul come home, and he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Of course I'll stay, Doctor...I love you so much, I didn't want to leave."

"Rassilon, I don't know what I'd have done if you wanted to go," he whispered into her hair, pulling her into his lap and burying his face in her blonde locks.

"You don't have to worry, Doctor. I told you, you're stuck with me. Well, now with me and this baby."

"Our baby," he corrected gently, tilting her face up with his hand. And before she could say another word his lips met hers and the entirety of existence was made whole once more.


	4. Chapter 4

She dropped the pot she was washing back into the sink when she heard the familiar 'whoosh', so close, and darted around the corner and into Rose's bedroom just as the blue box completely solidified before her. And when the door opened and Rose stepped out, seeming both uncertain and blissfully happy, Jackie dragged her into her arms for a hug. And it was while they were embracing that Rose's expression replayed in Jackie's mind and something clicked. With a sudden movement she pulled away and held Rose out at arm's length.

"Rose Tyler!" Rose's eyes, wide and innocent, never fooled her mother when she was younger and they sure as hell didn't fool her now.

"Where is that Doctor of yours? He'd better be planning to make an honest woman out of you!" The man in question gingerly peeked around the still-open TARDIS door.

"Well, that answers the question of how to tell her," he grinned cheekily at Rose, who laughed hysterically as Jackie reached out and grabbed the illustrious Time Lord by his ear and dragged him into the living room.

* * *

"And how many other women have you abducted, gotten in the family way? Is it a big thrill for you?" Jackie was in full sail, and Rose attempted to speak.

"Honestly, Mum, it wasn't like that!" Rose laughed, trying to get a word in edgewise, knowing it was futile. Once Jackie was in the flow, nothing could shut her up. Rose finally gave up and just sat on the couch, giggling and clutching a throw pillow as her admittedly not-tall mother went toe-to-toe with the Doctor, seeming to tower over him despite her shorter stature, backing him up against a wall and poking him firmly in the chest for emphasis.

"-AND another thing!" *poke* "What in the bloody HELL were you thinking, getting MY DAUGHTER" *poke* "up the duff then swanning off to who-knows-where with a pregnant woman, facing monsters and…and…and death and all SORTS of things that are NOT GOOD for a girl in her CONDITION! You insensitive-" *poke* "-thoughtless-" *poke* "-alien-" *POKE* "-MAN!" Rose watched in horrified amusement as her mother drew back, prepared to deliver a slap that would, knowing her mum, knock him into his next regeneration. A slap that never landed. With reflexes honed from centuries of running for his life, he caught her hand mere inches from his face, and Rose saw the fire that blazed in his countenance.

"Jacqueline Tyler, you have had your say. Now you will listen to mine." Rose sat, stunned, as the firm statement, neither loud nor commanding, halted her mother in her tracks. *I really have to learn that trick,* she thought idly, watching the scene unfold before her.

"Well, go on then," Jackie mumbled, grudgingly acquiescing to his determination. He released her hand and she stood there, defiance and fierceness warring on her features.

"Rose is the single most precious thing to me in my entire existence. Period. I didn't plan for that. I didn't expect it. I never once thought I could love anyone this much. I was wed once, yes. With children, as well. And grandchildren. And never have I felt this connection with anyone before. " He glanced over at Rose, and she could see the light of his conviction glowing in his eyes before he turned his attention back to her mother.

"A child between us should have been impossible. Intimacy between my people and yours has never been explored, until now. But it seems it is very possible. And I for one…couldn't be happier." His smile was soft, and proud, and Rose felt its warmth though he was across the room.

"But…don't you live forever?" Jackie's voice was quiet, thoughtful. He shook his head.

"Not forever. But a very very long time. Which is why I tried…I tried so hard to not care. To not love her. But," he said, traces of his normally cheeky nature coming through in his smile, "she's so easy to love. You have an amazing, completely amazing daughter, Jackie. One I love with everything in me. And I can't promise anything but this – I will ALWAYS. Love. Her. I used to think that I had to be alone. That for my crimes, for my deeds, simply for who I am, I didn't deserve to know that kind of happiness ever again. I still don't think I do. But Rose is tenacious, and she's a part of me now, in ways I could never have guessed at. The fact that she's giving me this gift, this wonderful, amazing, incredible gift…well, I know I don't deserve it. But I've got a very long time to try and be worthy of it." Rose, tears tracing down her cheeks, stood and walked over to him, to her man, her partner, her Doctor. When she reached out and took his hand, his gaze raised to her eyes, and she saw the love of a thousand lifetimes within his eyes. He gently raised her hand and kissed her knuckles, a lingering courtliness that had her melting. In that moment, everything faded but the two of them. Jackie, the apartment, even the very air they breathed…none of it mattered.

"Rose Tyler, will you be mine? Will you stay with me, through thick and thin? Will you allow me to care for you, to love you, with all that I am? Will you be my bride, Rose?" The last was a whisper but she heard it anyway, and forced out the only word she could.

"Yes."

"Well, then," Jackie murmured, her voice bringing them back to the present. "I guess…welcome to the family!" She turned and, surprising everyone (including herself, Rose guessed), she wrapped the Doctor up in a classic Jackie Tyler bone-crushing hug before dropping her arms and stepping back, a look of sheer panic on her face.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. Rose looked to the Doctor, and they both looked at her mother.

"What, Mum?"

"I've gotta call everyone! My daughter's getting' married!" And with a squeal she darted into the other room, leaving a perplexed Doctor to stare at the chuckling blonde girl before him.

"Did that…just…did..?"

"Yes, Doctor," she laughed. "It looks like you're definitely gonna make an honest woman out of me." With a grin she looked down at her stomach, then back up to him. "'Bout time, I'd say."

"Me too!" came Jackie's voice from the kitchen where the frantic beeping of a telephone keypad could be heard. Rose and the Doctor laughed, and she stepped into his arms, and it felt like home. And she knew that, come what may, they'd get through it. Together.

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Author's note: Wow. It's been a LONG time since I updated. Still, seeing as there's only one more chapter left, I thought it was about time to dig this out of the archives and actually post it. I'd been focusing so much on Ages and on life in general that I hadn't had a chance to put this up. But here ya go. :)


	5. Chapter 5

The bride refused to wear white. The groom was fascinated by fluorescent neckties. There was a maid of honor that seemed remarkably confused at the situation, and a best man who was less so, but still apprehensive. The mother of the bride took all of it in stride happily. Her little girl was getting married, and in a few short months she'd be having a baby. Jackie had to admit that with Rose's genetics and the Doctor's good looks, any child(ren) they would have would be absolutely adorable. Likely be little hellions, too, but that was good. Didn't want things getting too boring.

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Inside the bride's dressing room, Rose sat still while her mate Shareen worked on her hair, toying with the shoulder-length strands and making them into a semblance of careless beauty. Rose grinned at her friend in the mirror.

'Always said you were good with hair,' she quipped, receiving a long-suffering glare as Shareen stuck her tongue out at her.

'So NOW will you tell me what on earth is going on? All your mum and Mickey have said for years is that you've been traveling the world with a Doctor. Now you show up on my doorstep, tell me you're getting married in two weeks, want me to be your maid of honor – when we haven't spoken since you disappeared – oh my god! He got you pregnant, didn't he?' she gasped, and Rose started laughing.

'Well, technically, WE got me pregnant –' she began, only to have Shareen spin her chair around to face her.

'Oh my god! You're serious? Rose, what on earth were you thinking? This is too much! Have you even thought –' Rose interrupted her friend by gently placing one hand on the other girl's shoulder.

'Shareen, calm down. You're absolutely right, this is a lot to take in. And it definitely isn't how I'd planned my life. But let me tell you something: there is NOTHING, in this world or any others, that could come close to making me as happy as I am right now. I have a wonderful, exasperating, simply complex and loving man who adores me, and I adore him. I'd never thought to have kids so soon, but it's happening and I couldn't be happier. I've got a wonderful life, exploring and seeing new places, learning – oh, Shareen, learning so much! The world is so much bigger than we could have ever guessed! It's all so amazing. I don't know what I ever did to deserve to be so happy, but I am, and it's more than I could have ever dreamed of. I know there's a lot that I can't explain or tell you, but never doubt that this – that he, that us – this is exactly what I want. Where I want to be.'

Shareen looked at her friend. Really looked, for the first time in ages. And what she saw surprised her to no end. Rose, the girl she'd known all her life, was a fun-loving hellion, a devil-may-care with an adorable smile and the ability to find the good in anything. Responsible when she needed to be, and carefree when she didn't. The woman before her now – for what Shareen realized was that Rose was no longer a girl, but a woman – the woman had sadness in her eyes, and triumph, a sense of calm and conviction that would have been completely alien to the flighty girl she had once been. Rose had grown up, and left the child behind. What Shareen now saw was a beautifully strong woman and though she might inwardly mourn for the loss of growing together, she had to admit that this was exactly who Rose needed to be. She smiled, acceptance and love glowing as she gave her closest friend a hug.

'You're gonna be a great mum,' she whispered, and then both girls were giggling and crying and the world was right where it belonged.

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In another room, Mickey was having a similarly bizarre conversation, only his involved a myriad reasons as to why exactly neon green with orange stripes was not a good color choice to go with a chocolate brown suit.

'Really, mate, just go with the gray one. Rose'll thank you when she looks back at these pictures.'

'But it's so colorful! I'm sure it'll be fine.' The Doctor could be remarkably stubborn, but then, so could Mickey. With a quick grab, he snatched the offensive polyester blend god-awful looking strip of material from the other man's hands and draped the dark grey silk one around his neck.

'Shut it. Rose'll like this one. And you do want to make her happy, right?' The question was less curious and more threatening, but he needn't have worried. At the slightest mention of Rose, the Doctor's eyes went soft, and Mickey knew he'd won the tie fight. He sighed with envy, watching the alien as he whipped one end of the tie around and over and under into a perfect Windsor knot. He'd still never gotten the hang of that, really. And here he was, standing in a side room in a small church watching – helping – a 900-year-old Time Lord prepare to be married to the woman Mickey had loved his whole life. Somehow he felt a bit cheated. But he knew that Rose would be happier with the Doctor, gallivanting around the whole of space and time, enjoying a life she could never have had here with him. And for Rose's sake, today of all days, he would set aside his jealousy and give her the future she deserved.

'Mickey,' said the Doctor, and the fact that he'd gotten his name right told the young man how serious this was. 'I just want to thank you. For being there for Rose, today and always. I know this is not how you expected things to turn out, but I promise you, I will spend the rest of her life making sure she gets everything she wants and needs. I'll take care of her.' Mickey looked up to meet the other man's gaze, refusing to let the tears in his eyes show.

'I know you will, mate. Because you're not scared of anything. But even I can see that you're scared to death of losing her. And because I know how easy it is to want to give her the world.' He chuckled, a bit self-deprecating. 'Difference between us is, you can actually do it.' He paused, wanting to ask a question but not sure exactly how to phrase it so it wouldn't come out as an accusation. The Doctor seemed to see his struggle with words, and places his hands on the younger man's shoulders.

'Just ask, Mickey.'

'Why now? What is so pressing that it had to be now?'

'Well, you see…' It was the slow reply, the slight hesitance that did it. Mickey's eyes grew wide, and with a rage he didn't know he possessed he lashed out, catching the Doctor with the full force of his punch. The Time Lord went sprawling on the ground a few feet away, eyes shocked but yet not surprised.

'You BASTARD!' Mickey shouted. 'You bloody wanker! What the hell? So you knock her up and then have to go through with a wedding? I bet you never had any plans to keep her until this happened! You ba-' He stopped short at the sight of the other man's eyes growing cold, hard, as he picked himself up off the ground. For the first time since meeting the strange alien, Mickey began to feel a bit scared of him.

'Listen to me carefully, Mickey. I have lived over nine Earth centuries. I have seen things your kind could only dream about. And I can tell you with flawless honesty that there is NOTHING that has ever been more important to me than Rose. If I had to choose between saving my people from the Time War or saving Rose from a broken leg, I would gladly push the button on my way to take Rose to the medical bay of the TARDIS. Do you understand me?' To Mickey's shock, he did. And hearing such unabashed explanations from the Doctor…well, he began to wonder if it wasn't all going to be alright anyway. Smiling the first genuine smile he'd had in what seemed like forever, he extended his hand towards the Doctor.

'Well, now that that's settled, time to get you out to meet your blushing bride. Eh, Daddy?'

The expression of delight and shock on the other man's face was worth every minute of self-pity Mickey had felt since it became clear that the Doctor was Rose's choice.

* * *

Jackie stood off to the side, watching as her soon-to-be-son-in-law (alien-in-law?) stepped into the chapel with Mickey at his side. She was very thankful the younger man had been able to talk the groom out of those awful ties he wanted. Walking quickly, she joined up with the two.

'Since this is a small wedding, we're not going to do any formal seating,' she said, reaching out absently to straighten Mickey's tie. Truth be told, she was a bit disappointed – her only daughter was getting married, and there wasn't even going to be a reception! But still, it's what Rose wanted…small, simple. Like she had said, 'Honestly, Mum, why would I want a big wedding? No one but you and Mickey have ever met him, and I think it might be easier that way, y'know?' Still, it wasn't as if there were no guests. She'd even managed, in the past two weeks, to get a few people on the guest list that not even Rose knew about. Keeping her instructions quick and simple – stand here, say this, don't fuck up my baby girl's big day or I'll punch you into your next regeneration – she soon herded the groom and the best man to their respective spots. And not a moment too soon, as the pianist and officiator both entered the room, walking to their places. Jackie took that as her cue to go take her seat and make sure her tissues were within easy reach.

After a moment of tense waiting on her part, she heard the opening strains of the quiet piano intro that Rose wanted instead of the traditional wedding march. Like everyone else, she turned around to the doors at the rear of the chapel, smiling at Shareen as the girl – young woman, she amended – began her careful walk up the aisle. The brunette looked great in her dress – a very simple princess-style dress in a chocolate brown two shades darker than the Doctor's suit, matching Mikey's cummerbund exactly. Jackie couldn't help remembering the years that had gone past…Shareen and Rose playing outside in the dirt, bringing home flowers and shiny rocks and whatever else they found that piqued their interest. School dances with the two of them and their dates, the sleepovers…she found herself reaching for her tissues before her 'other' daughter had even reached the front of the room. And then the doors opened again and she turned around with everyone else and found herself so shocked that she forgot to cry.

Rose was wearing a silver-blue sheath dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline and a silver chain belt draped loosely around her waist, the hemline slightly higher in the front to showcase her silver strapped heels and her silver-painted toenails. There was no veil – instead, nestled in Rose's artistically messy updo were small silver chains and random beads in a similar color to her dress. Around her neck she wore a delicate strand of woven metal that Jackie had a feeling wasn't anything from THIS planet, the matching dangly earrings highlighting her daughter's slender neck. She felt her heart would burst with pride in the woman her Rose had become. Walking down the aisle, not a glance to either side, Rose's entire being was focused on one thing – the man waiting at the other end of her walk. When Jackie looked up to see what his reaction was, she could have giggled. The awestruck eyes, the mouth slightly open…he looked thoroughly besotted. Any doubt she had as the mother of the bride was swept away by the force of the devotion shining in the depths of his eyes, a reverence she'd never seen on anyone else's face. It was obvious that, for the two of them, everything else had disappeared. As Rose mounted the few stairs to the small pulpit, distractedly handing her bouquet off to her maid of honor before reaching out to take the Doctor's hands, Jackie felt…peaceful. Everything would be fine. It wouldn't always be safe – their life was anything but, she thought – but she knew that her daughter was in the care of someone who would literally burn the sun to keep her secure. And if she'd ever doubted his feelings for her little girl, that was in the past. There was nothing for either of them in this moment but each other, and Jackie didn't even remember to wipe her tears as the ceremony began.

In later years, she would never be able to remember the exact details of the ceremony, the vows, or anything else. All that would linger in her memory was the absolute love between the two as they said their 'I do's. But that memory would blaze brightly for the rest of her life.

* * *

The wedding was simple, the party afterwards quiet by most standards, but it was what Rose wanted. She stood in the TARDIS, one hand resting gently on the console, and took a moment to think about how her life was so far from where she'd expected it to be. And yet, she wouldn't want it to be anywhere else, any way else. Or with anyone else. She'd asked her husband – HUSBAND! The girl inside her squealed – to give her a minute alone, and he was content to agree. 'Anything, love,' he'd murmured before walking down the hallway, and she heard him mumbling happily over a tie he'd bought back with him…an atrocious monstrosity in green and orange that made her head hurt, but he liked it. Sighing with joy, her free hand came to rest lightly on her stomach.

'Who'd have thought I'd be here?' she mused quietly, speaking aloud to no one in particular. 'Or that I'd be so happy?' She walked slowly around the console, trailing her fingers over the buttons and levers in a caress. 'Don't think I don't know that you're listening,' she whispered wryly to the ship. 'Or that you had a bit of a hand in this,' she gestured to her tummy. Turning, she placed both hands firmly on the console, feeling a gentle hum begin and knowing the TARDIS was just as happy as she was. 'Thank you, girl,' Rose whispered. 'Thank you for everything. For keeping him safe, for helping him…and for letting me be a part of his life as well.' The console lights flickered briefly in understanding. Rose smiled. 'Thank you.'

Standing upright, she gave the console one last fond pat and wandered down the hallway. She should find her husband. It was, after all, their honeymoon.

* * *

Author's note: Well, it's taken longer than I thought, but we've reached the end (beginning?) of their journey. For anyone who wonders, I had no intentions of writing this sequel, and once I decided to do so, I realized I wasn't going to write about their married life or their children. For me, this - both this story and The Woman You Love - were more about a sort of introspective journey, a showcase, if you will, of how much the two of them have grown and how much they have meshed together. In my mind, their marriage is happy, if hectic, and their children are easily the most adorably spoiled little rugrats in all of space-time, but that's just me. That line of thought...well, that's another story entirely. :)

I do apologize that it took me so very long to finish this. I've had my own introspective journey to go on, and though I'm not sure I'm done with it quite yet, I've finally begun putting myself back together and fixing things I didn't even know were broken. I wholeheartedly thank everyone who has stuck through this writing drought with me, all those who have sent me messages to ensure I hadn't fallen off the face of the planet. I might not be completely back yet, but I'm damn near there. And when I am...look out, world!

Enjoy, and keep reading!

-Corianin, 3/27/12


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